About the Save the Rhino Trust
The desert-adapted black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) living in the Kunene Region (former Damaraland and Kaokoland) in the arid north-west of Namibia is the only rhino population in the world that has survived on communal land with no formal conservation status.
In the early 1980s in this vast, strangely beautiful and spectacular desert scenery, a savage slaughter of desert wildlife took place. As the rhino numbers shrank to near extinction, a group of concerned people (scientists, geologists, community leaders, nature conservation officials, journalists, housewives and businessmen) gathered together to form a Trust, the aim of which was to stop the horrendous slaughter of rhino, elephant and other wildlife, which was taking place in the desert and high in the mountains of NW Namibia.
Determination, hard work and the help of international funds gave birth to the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT). Since its founding 25 years ago poaching has drastically declined and the rhino population has more than trebled!
Since the Trust's inception, it has successfully collaborated with government, traditional leaders and local community with an aim to provide security for and monitor the rhino population in the region, as well as to benefit the community through conservation and tourism. Ironically, previously convicted poachers were employed by the Save the Rhino Trust as guards - since they had extensive knowledge of the habits of rhino! Local chiefs and headmen as well as neighbouring farming communities all enthusiastically support the SRT's aim: to halt the extermination of the endangered black rhino and other endangered wildlife on communal land.
Less than 10% of the staff is based in towns or offices, while the rest remain field-based. At present all staff are Namibians. The majority of employees come from the areas neighbouring the rhino range within the Kunene region and amongst them are several rural women. Many more community members are benefiting indirectly from the work done by SRT, through the Trust's employment of local people.
Rhino Patrols
Local game guards work in one of four groups, each regularly patrolling a specified area within the 25 000km2 rhino range. All fresh rhino tracks are picked up during such patrols by vehicle, foot and camel and followed on foot until the rhino is sighted. Rhino are observed at close range using binoculars to note any distinguishing marks and assess body condition. All observations are recorded on detailed ID forms and photographed sightings localities are recorded using GPS units. Good quality ID photographs (front, side and rear view) are taken. All this information is fed into a coded computer database and analysed.
In addition, a complete photographic census of all the rhino in the area is covered on a regular basis; these have been completed in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). All 8 ecozones making up the 'rhino range' in Kunene are covered twice over a period of 15 months' fieldwork. During this census all information on rhino, track logs of the patrolling routes as well as accurate locations of all springs and waterholes, have been recorded.
SRT's monitoring data is supplied to the MET (who remain responsible for the conservation of all wildlife in Namibia) and is also made available to the African Rhino Specialist Group and the Rhino Management Group of Southern Africa through MET's representative - the National Rhino Coordinator of these conservation bodies.
Over the years, the tracking teams have photographed and identified every rhino in the 25 000km2 range; every new calf is recorded and all mortalities located. This monitoring effort needs to be maintained as the rhino population grows and each rhino changes appearance over time.
In 1989 and 1991, when the threat of poaching in this region increased drastically, rhino were dehorned in the Kunene region. The poaching has declined since. Other proactive security work is done in collaboration with the MET and the Protected Resources Unit (PRU) of the Namibian Police.
Community
The SRT has established one of the first Community Based Species Survival (CBSS) Projects for rhino in Africa, with direct community involvement in the conservation of rhino, and benefits received through conservation and tourism flow to the local population.
The SRT built an indaba centre near Palmwag at the Mai Go Ha base camp for community leaders to discuss conservation matters with their colleagues. Meetings with headmen and community groups on conservation matters are becoming increasingly important to ensure a future for desert wildlife.
Tourism
Several tourism ventures in the Kunene region have been supported by SRT for the benefit of the community. Wilderness Safaris' Desert Rhino Camp donates a portion of each guest's fee to the project, while the Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust has funded specific projects such as relocation of individual rhino to boost other population centres in Namibia.
Wilderness also offers the Desert Rhino Expedition, an original and exciting Exploration where guests join the "ships of the desert" on a great adventure: an eight-day walk (little time is spent actually on the camels) deep into the heart of the Namib Desert, with a camel train and a team of Save the Rhino trackers. Guests thus gain access to some of the most remote and almost inaccessible regions of the Concession and the revenues generated by this venture are directly channelled into the critically important conservation of the rhino population of the area.
All camels are based at Mbakondja and one team of trackers who cover the "core" rhino area - Palmwag and Etendeka Concessions. Any rhino tracks that are found are followed and the rhino are identified. The pride shown in the success of protecting the rhino is very evident; the Damara and Herero people of Kowareb are equally interested and supportive of the rhino monitoring and camel patrol project.
The camel project employs 7 community-based game guards who live with their families. A training programme has been initiated with the aim of increasing the game guards' abilities in handling rhino tours, on camel back, vehicle or on foot.
International Representation
The Save the Rhino Trust is represented at the international meetings of the African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG), which is a member of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Contributions from Save the Rhino Trust have been made to other International meetings and conferences, throughout Africa and even in Europe and the Americas.
Projects in Namibia
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